Phibs Set-Up & Care

Set-Up

Although we offer some of the largest frogs in the world, they are primarily inactive and require only a modest and quite affordable set-up. The internet is chalked full of caresheets and step by step set-up instructions, however err on the side of caution. Some of the information that can be found online is fact based while some of it is not. The information that you’ll find below is based on our own personal experience and is put to the test every day.

Enclosure: As noted above, at full maturity these guys are huge, however they are “ambush predators” and spend the majority of their time burrowed in the substrate. For that very reason, a standard 10 gallon aquarium is plenty of room for the entire life cycle of your frog. They are readily available at most pet stores and can be purchased for under $20. When keeping a fully matured, male Giant African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus), we recommend housing in a 20L gallon aquarium. Although the price tends to spike when compared to a 10 gallon aquarium, we think that the payoff is ten-fold. Not only will there be plenty of room for your monster to maneuver around but there will also be room for a large water dish for your frog to soak in.

*Extra Tip* We opt to paint 3 of the 4 aquarium walls black, leaving only the front glass exposed. This, aside from being aesthetically pleasing, also brings a sense of comfort to the frog housed inside. If using paint, make sure that the aquarium surface has been cleaned extensively prior to housing your frog and that no fumes are present. Aquarium backgrounds are another alternative however the finished product is not as neat and polished looking.

Substrate: There are a couple of different options when it comes to substrate.

• Co-Co Fiber: We have found this to be the best substrate option. It can be found at most pet stores and is inexpensive. A compressed brick will usually only set you back $3-$4 and depending on how many enclosures you are using it in, can last several months. Co-Co Fiber serves a couple of different purposes. First, it provides a suitable burrowing medium for your frog. It also retains moisture and keeps humidity levels within the optimum range (with normal misting). You will want to invest in a small spray bottle that can be filled with fresh, de-chlorinated tap water, so that you can mist the substrate as needed. The substrate should be damp to the touch but not saturated.

• All Natural Top Soil: This also can be purchased for under $4 (40 lb. bag), lasts several months and provides a suitable burrowing medium for your frog however it falls short in regards to it’s moisture retention and humidity buffer. It is imperative that when selecting an all natural top soil, that no chemicals or fertilizers are added as these can be ingested by your frog and prove fatal.

Both mediums are beneficial in the aspect that if ingested, they can be easily passed through the digestive tract. These type of frogs get VERY excited when feeding and can take in a lot of substrate when lunging after their prey. Any substrate larger then those mentioned above can become accidentally ingested and block the intestinal tract of your frog. This condition, known as impaction can prove fatal.

Water Bowl: Although some keepers consider this an option, we feel that it is more of a necessity and takes the guesswork out of your frogs hydration. We provide a water bowl large enough for our frogs to soak in at all times. Frogs, unlike humans or other animals, don’t drink through their mouths. They absorb it through their highly sensitive skin. By leaving a dish in the enclosure, it allows your frog to soak at it’s leisure. The water will need to be changed “as needed” and should be re-filled with fresh, de-chlorintaed tap water. The water level should be just below the frogs nose while it’s in a resting position. Some keepers opt to “soak” their frog once every 7-10 days. This is the same concept, however it is imperative that you stay on top of your husbandry and make sure that it gets done. Frogs without access to a fresh water supply will become dehydrated and die.

Heat Source: Yet another necessity. These frogs are voracious eaters and heat not only stimulates a good feeding response for rapidly growing froglets and juveniles, but it also assists in the body’s metabolism and it’s ability to break down and expel the waste from the digestive tract. Without temps in the optimum range, a growing froglet can become bloated and die. This happens when the food inside the body, begins to decay before it can be expelled. Heat in the enclosure, can be accomplished two different ways.

• Heat Lamp: This is the method that we use. Aside from offering heat it also simulates a 24 hour photoperiod which your frog would be exposed to in the wild. We utilize a 12 hour day/night cycle in the spring/summer months and a 10 hour cycle in the fall/winter. Temps need to be in the 78-85 degree fahrenheit range. We achieve this by using a 40 watt, clear, incandescent bulb found at any hardware store. Save yourself the extra money and shy away from the commercially available heat lamps sold in pet stores. They are overpriced and perform the same function as the clear bulbs found in hardware stores. A 40 watt, clear incandescent bulb will heat a 10 gallon enclosure to 84 degrees fahrenheit, which is ideal.

• Heat Mats: The other commonly used method is mounting a heat mat to one of the aquarium walls. Heat mats, depending on size are also fairly inexpensive, with the smaller mats being more affordable then the larger ones. These will produce additional heat, however in our experience it hasn’t been sufficient enough. By taking this route your frog also won’t have the added benefit of the photoperiod. We have found that frogs that are exposed to a routine photoperiod are much more active and have a better feeding response then those that are not. If using the heat mat method, it is imperative that the mat be mounted to one of the aquarium walls and not the bottom. As mentioned before, these frogs burrow and if mounted to the bottom, your frog can burrow down to the glass, make contact with the mat and suffer thermal burns which could prove fatal.

Night time temps can fall to the low 70′s however daytime temps must remain in the 78-85 degree fahrenheit range.

*Extra Tip* If using the heat lamp method, invest in an automatic light timer! These are also affordable (about $5) and readily available. This will be one less thing that you have to worry about on a daily basis and your frogs day/night cycle will be consistent.

Lid: A lid of some sort will be needed when rearing younger Giant African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus) froglets as they are very agile jumpers. As they mature, this ability slows down and a lid isn’t needed. When housing any of the Horned Frog species, a lid isn’t necessary as they pose no flight risk.

It might seem like a lot to take in all at once but we assure you that once you get your feet wet, you are looking at one of the simplest and more affordable pets out there!

Care

A lot of the care requirements have already been covered in the Set-Up portion. The information below pertains more so to the froglet that you will be receiving from us and it’s aftercare upon arrival.

Aftercare: All frogs sold by Jela’s Phat Phibs are feeding well and are free of any signs of disease prior to shipping. It is quite normal for your froglet to refuse food the first several days after shipping. Shipping stress plays a large role in this and we are confident, based on our own personal experience, that your new froglet will be feeding regularly within a couple of days. Before introducing your froglet into it’s nice, new enclosure, we feel that it is best to keep them in a very simple set-up for the first couple of weeks. You can achieve this by purchasing a small Sterilite plastic shoebox container and some paper towels. You will need to drill some holes along the top portion of your container to allow for proper ventilation. You’ll then want to line the inside of the container with damp paper towels. Again, make sure that you are using de-chlorinated tap water to dampen the paper towels. This will serve as your substrate while your froglet is in it’s temporary digs. The paper towel retains moisture, introduces humidity and allows a clean surface for your clumsy froglet to feed from. These guys aren’t the greatest hunters when they are younger and the smaller confines and lack of substrate help them locate the food items easier. After a couple of weeks, your froglet will have grown a bit, polished its hunting skills and it is safe to introduce him to his nice, new enclosure that you have set up.

Feeding: The key to any healthy frog is a varied, nutritious diet. Research the insects that are readily available to you and choose the ones that are the most beneficial to your frog. It is key to have at least 2 staple foods to offer your frog. A staple food is a food that is going to be offered routinely and is healthy for your animal. Some popular staple foods are crickets, superworms, nightcrawlers and our favorite, feeder roaches. All insects should be gutloaded with fresh fruits, vegetables and high protein chow prior to offering them to your frog. When properly gutloaded, these nutrients are passed directly to your frog. Some of the most popluar and beneficial gutload items for your frogs are carrots, apples, oranges, greens and high protein cat chow. Research the insects that you are feeding and be sure that they are properly gutloaded prior to feeding. Another reason why we favor the feeder roaches is that they retain their nutrients for up to 72 hours after feeding as opposed to 18-24 hours by crickets.

For all Horned Frog species, we offer food items every day. You will want the items to be no bigger then half the size of the froglets body and offer 2-3 items per day. As the froglet grows, you will increase the size of the food items, again staying with the “half-the-size” principle. We have had much success with this approach to Horned Frog feeding. For Giant African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus) froglets, we exercise a 2 day on, 1 day off feeding cycle. Pyxies are gluttonous eaters so this feeding cycle allows time for their bodies to process the food and expel the waste. The first two days, the Pyxie is offered as much food as it can consume within a 15 minute window. On the third day, no food is offered. By using this method, your rapidly growing Pyxie will receive adequate nutrition and still be able to rid itself of the waste.